1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and device for color compensation, and more particularly, to a color compensation method and device in which a user may output a desired color in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, such as printers, may have different output colors depending on an image forming type (e.g., ink, laser, etc.), a model, a manufacturer, or the like. Since image forming apparatuses may have different physical properties, such as a toner, or policies depending on the manufacturer, there may be a color difference, etc. between printouts. Even when image forming apparatuses have the same model, there may be a color difference between printouts depending on a management environment (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.) or a period of use.
In addition, a user may desire to output a printout with attributes, such as a color, of image forming apparatus B from image forming apparatus A. For example, when the user desires to use a color tone of image forming apparatus B in image formation apparatus A, color compensation is required, and thus the user may not easily perform the color compensation.
Accordingly, in order to output a color with a tone suitable for the user's taste, a color compensation method of an image forming apparatus may have to be provided conveniently for the user. In this disclosure, a convenient method for the user is provided, as compared to a conventional color compensation method.
Conventionally, in order to perform color compensation on the image forming apparatus, an international color consortium (ICC) profile is created with a colorimeter. The color compensation may be performed by measuring the color of the printout, which is output from an image forming apparatus, with the colorimeter, creating the ICC profile on the basis of a result of measuring the color, and applying the created ICC profile to the image forming apparatus. However, in this case, the purchase or use of an expensive colorimeter by a user may act as a significant burden. Inconveniently, a method of using control software of the colorimeter and a method of performing color compensation are not easily provided to general consumers.
In order to overcome the inconvenience, a manufacture provides a chart of a hardcopy that is output with standard colors as a method using a scanner. Thus, an ICC profile may be determined on the basis of Red-Green-Blue (RGB) values of image information obtained by scanning a hardcopy provided by a manufacturer. However, in this method, since a user should have the hardcopy, the user should receive the hardcopy upon the purchase of the image forming apparatus or by mail. In addition, when the hardcopy is carelessly managed, the hardcopy may be lost, damaged, and contaminated, and thus an undesired color may be obtained through the color compensation.
As described above, the conventional color compensation method has a problem in that it is difficult to maintain an initial state of the image forming apparatus for various reasons. Thus, a function of allowing a user to autonomously calibrate the state of the image forming apparatus is required to be improved. Accordingly, the present disclosure presents improved color compensation method.